{"id":67394,"date":"2020-04-24T17:29:46","date_gmt":"2020-04-24T21:29:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/?p=67394"},"modified":"2020-04-24T17:29:46","modified_gmt":"2020-04-24T21:29:46","slug":"game-ongoing-twenty-five-years-of-triple-h","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2020\/04\/24\/game-ongoing-twenty-five-years-of-triple-h\/","title":{"rendered":"Game Ongoing: Twenty Five Years of Triple H"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>This week&#8217;s episode of <strong>SmackDown<\/strong> will be a little bit different to what we are used to.\u00a0 The Friday night broadcast will be a celebration of <strong>Triple H<\/strong>&#8216;s pro-wrestling career.\u00a0 Specifically, it will be a celebration of Triple H&#8217;s <strong>WWE<\/strong> career &#8211; though you can find the pre-WWE portion of his career <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/2020\/04\/24\/triple-h-pre-wwe\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>.\u00a0 On April 30th, 2020, Triple H will have spent an entire quarter-century in the WWE.\u00a0 That&#8217;s right; twenty-five years.\u00a0 What a career he has had!\u00a0 Since arrogantly strutting and curtsying onto our screens on April 30th 1995, <strong>Hunter Hearst Helmsley<\/strong> has become one of the most important wrestling figures in pro-wrestling history.\u00a0 Therefore, pour yourself some of the finest French champagne, sit back and join us as we take a look back through the WWE career of pro-wrestling&#8217;s &#8220;Cerebral Assassin&#8221; (and &#8220;The Game&#8221;, and the &#8220;Connecticut Blueblood&#8221; etc).<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Triple H: The Connecticut Blueblood<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Triple H&#039;s WWE Debut\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lqZe9mEpSFg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Paul Levesque &#8211; real name of Triple H &#8211; joined what was then the<strong> WWF<\/strong> in January of 1995.\u00a0 The move from <strong>WCW<\/strong> to the WWF came after <strong>Vince McMahon<\/strong> saw who was then <strong>Jean-Paul Levesque<\/strong> perform in person at <em><strong>Starrcade 1994<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 If only both men knew at the time how interlinked their futures would become.\u00a0 His debut would then, of course, come at WWF&#8217;s <strong>Wrestling Challenge<\/strong> on April 30th, 1995.\u00a0 Entering the <strong>World Wrestling Federation<\/strong>&#8216;s world as a member of the Connecticut nobility, <strong>Hunter Hearst Helmsley<\/strong> would enjoy a successful debut against <strong>Buck Zumhoff<\/strong>.\u00a0 <strong>Jim Ross<\/strong>, on commentary for the match, put it best at the bout&#8217;s conclusion:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;&#8230;We&#8217;re going to be seeing more of hunter hearst helmsley&#8230;&#8221; &#8211; jim ross<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Whether Good Ol&#8217; JR knew at the moment that he was witnessing the debut of the potential heir to the company is unknown.\u00a0 However, Hunter Hearst Helmsley did enjoy a successful debut.\u00a0 Triple H does not always get the credit he deserves for his portrayal of that character.\u00a0 Indeed, his facial expression; general posture and smug manner of working his matches demonstrate just how great a worker Triple H was &#8211; even then.\u00a0 Shortly after victories over <strong>Bob Holly<\/strong> at<em><strong> SummerSlam 1995<\/strong><\/em> and<strong> Henry O. Godwinn<\/strong> at <em><strong>In Your House 5: Seasons Beatings<\/strong><\/em>, Hunter&#8217;s career took a downward turn.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>WrestleMania XII and The Kliq<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ultimate Warrior vs. Triple H: WrestleMania XII\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ntBIdQzH0yk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>WrestleMania XII<\/strong><\/em> should have been the first big <em>WrestleMania<\/em> in the storied career of The Game.\u00a0 Instead, when fans Google the outcome of Triple H&#8217;s first <em>WrestleMania<\/em>, they scratch their heads.\u00a0 At <em>WrestleMania XII<\/em>, Triple H was defeated by <strong>The Ultimate Warrior<\/strong> in just over two-minutes.\u00a0 In the match, Warrior infamously no-sold The Pedigree &#8211; getting up immediately after impact, unscathed.\u00a0 Of course, there is more to the story than a traditional burial.\u00a0 Triple H had become a member of backstage faction &#8220;<strong>The Kliq<\/strong>&#8221; since his debut.\u00a0 Alongside<strong> Shawn Michaels<\/strong>, <strong>Scott Hall<\/strong>,<strong> Kevin Nash<\/strong> and <strong>Sean Waltman<\/strong>, they would together form the group believed by many to be an influencing factor in Vince McMahon&#8217;s booking process.\u00a0 After the infamous Curtain Call incident in April 1995 &#8211; where the group would break kayfabe at Madison Square Garden, embracing in a final goodbye to the departing Hall and Nash &#8211; punishment was to be dealt.\u00a0 With Nash and Hall departing, <strong>X-Pac<\/strong> in rehab and Shawn Michaels sitting untouchable as WWF Champion, Triple H was to be punished.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_67400\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-67400\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-67400\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2020\/04\/The-Kliq.jpg\" alt=\"Triple H and The Kliq\" width=\"600\" height=\"339\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2020\/04\/The-Kliq.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2020\/04\/The-Kliq-300x170.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-67400\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: WWF<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Triple H would accept his punishment without protest.\u00a0 His agreeing to punishment &#8211; enduring months of enhancement matches, alongside the Warrior squash match &#8211; would win the respect of anti-Kliq members of the locker room, such as <strong>The Undertaker<\/strong>.\u00a0 In something for the all-time alternative wrestling history discussions, Triple H&#8217;s scheduled <em><strong>King of the Ring 1996<\/strong> <\/em>victory was delayed a year.\u00a0 <em>King of the Ring 1996<\/em> would instead be won by a man called <strong>&#8220;Stone Cold&#8221; Steve Austin<\/strong>.\u00a0 His victory would, of course, result in the famous &#8220;Austin 3:16&#8221; promo, seen by many as the official beginning of the <strong>Attitude Era<\/strong>.\u00a0 1996 would not be a complete write-off for Hunter.\u00a0 He would win his first Intercontinental Championship from <strong>Marc Mero<\/strong> in October of that year.\u00a0 Though Hunter&#8217;s three initials &#8211; HHH &#8211; are the most important of his career, there are another two which draw significance: <strong>D-X<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Triple H: D-Generation X<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Hunter Hearst Helmsley wins the King of the Ring tournament: WWE King of the Ring 1997\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/BLzacQ8i3S0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Shortly after his Intercontinental Championship win, Triple H would hook-up with <strong>Chyna<\/strong>.\u00a0 Chyna &#8211; Triple H&#8217;s on-screen bodyguard &#8211; would accompany him during his victory at <em><strong>King of the Ring 1997<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 This came after his belated <em>WrestleMania<\/em> victory against <strong>Goldust<\/strong> at <em><strong>WrestleMania XIII<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 His career was back on track and whereas he may have felt that Austin&#8217;s spot post-<em>KOTR 1996<\/em> was his, 1997 was better late than never.\u00a0 Shortly after, Triple H would form D-Generation X with Chyna, <strong>Rick Rude<\/strong> and fellow Kliq comrade, Shawn Michaels.\u00a0 The formerly conservative Helmsley character was abandoned; trading in his curtsy for crotch chops.\u00a0 Comments on opponents being beneath him were replaced by chants of &#8220;suck it!&#8221; This was a very new direction for Hunter and it was now clear that the Attitude Era was in full force.\u00a0 It was around this time where the mouthful &#8220;Hunter Hearst Helmsley&#8221; name was simplified to the more marketable &#8220;Triple-H&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"D-Generation X&#039;s greatest moments: WWE Top 10, Oct. 1, 2018\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/QQUD-PbgG04?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Feuds with the <strong>Hart Foundation<\/strong> &#8211; culminating in a Triple H victory over <strong>Owen Hart<\/strong> at <em><strong>WrestleMania XIV<\/strong><\/em> &#8211; among others would follow.\u00a0 Of course, Triple H would come to feud with arguably his greatest rivals in <strong>Mankind<\/strong>, Steve Austin, Undertaker and <strong>The Rock<\/strong>.\u00a0 This era was an era where some of the biggest stars in pro-wrestling history were all under the same building, night-after-night.\u00a0 It just so happens that Triple H was one of these stars and alongside his D-X comrades, was able to go to war with them all over the world.\u00a0 For this reason, among many others impossible to compress into an article, D-X remains one of the greatest factions of all-time.\u00a0 Triple H&#8217;s time in the group came to an end (at least for now) at <em><strong>WrestleMania XV<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 After Chyna cost Triple H a victory against <strong>Kane<\/strong>, he betrayed X-Pac and aligned with <strong>The Corporation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Triple H: Game On<\/strong><\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_67408\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-67408\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-67408\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2020\/04\/Triple-H-Championship.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2020\/04\/Triple-H-Championship.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2020\/04\/Triple-H-Championship-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-67408\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>After aligning with The Corporation, Triple H abandoned much of his D-X persona.\u00a0 He changed his appearance; opting for denim jackets, wet hair and water bottles (which he had sometimes used in D-X).\u00a0 Instead of the goofy innuendos deployed in his D-X days, he took on a more serious character.\u00a0 This was the beginning of The Game: a more serious take on the Triple H persona who just wanted to beat people up.\u00a0 He did just that; winning his first WWF Championship from Mankind one night removed from <em><strong>SummerSlam 1999<\/strong><\/em> on an episode of <strong>RAW is War<\/strong>.\u00a0 This would, of course, be the first of many.\u00a0 He would win his second at <em><strong>No Mercy 1999<\/strong><\/em>, after having dropped the title to Mr. McMahon earlier in the year.\u00a0 This was the feud where Triple H attempted to derail Mr. McMahon by marrying his sedated daughter at a drive-thru Vegas themed wedding.\u00a0 Of course, as we all know, Stephanie McMahon and Triple H married in real life around this time.\u00a0 So began the McMahon-Helmsley era.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Triple H ruins Stephanie McMahon and Test&#039;s wedding: This Week in WWE History, Dec. 1, 2016\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/hLkxeIC06YQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Triple H would capture his third WWF Championship from <strong>Big Show<\/strong> on the January 3 episode of RAW is War, 2000.\u00a0 He successfully defended it against The Rock at <em><strong>WrestleMania XVI<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 The Game would carry on in the same vein throughout much of 2000 &#8211; remaining in the title picture.\u00a0 By the time of <em><strong>WrestleMania XVII<\/strong><\/em>, Triple H was feuding with The Undertaker who would, of course, defeat The Game in a solid bout.\u00a0 The following night, Triple H would join up with long-time foe, Steve Austin &#8211; who Triple H infamously paid<strong> Rikishi<\/strong> to run over &#8211; and brutally dismantle The Rock.\u00a0 This was to write The Rock out of storylines whilst he filmed The Scorpion King.\u00a0 A third Intercontinental title, accompanied simultaneously by a run as WWF Tag Team Champion with Stone Cold would follow.\u00a0 Shortly after, on the May 21 2001 edition of RAW is War, Triple H would suffer a torn quadriceps muscle.\u00a0 His first major injury in the WWF, this would end the <strong>Two Man Power Trip<\/strong>; write him out of storylines and cause The Game to miss the entirety of the <strong>Invasion Era<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>The Return and &#8220;Reign of Terror&#8221;<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Triple H&#039;s 14 World Title victories\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3GzA4AP5cEY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Triple H would return on January 7, 2002 to an enormously welcoming reception.\u00a0 Triple H himself was shocked by this, as he was a top heel prior to his injury.\u00a0 He would go on to win <strong><em>Royal Rumble 2002<\/em> <\/strong>and defeat <strong>Chris Jericho<\/strong> for the Undisputed WWF Championship at <em><strong>WrestleMania XVIII<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 The match itself suffered from an exhausted crowd, who were worn out by the previous <strong>Hulk Hogan<\/strong> versus The Rock match.\u00a0 However, there was no denying The Game was back.\u00a0 A month later, Triple H would drop the championship to Hulk Hogan.\u00a0 Later that year, Triple H moved to the RAW brand &#8211; aligning with a returning Shawn Michaels, who had missed the past four and a half years with a serious back injury.\u00a0 Of course, in true Triple H fashion, he turned on HBK &#8211; igniting a feud which would see out 2002.\u00a0 Memorable feuds with Kane (for the wrong reasons) and Rob Van Dam would also see out 2002.\u00a0 Additionally, during this time, Triple H was awarded the World Heavyweight Championship &#8211; becoming its inaugural holder.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_67414\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-67414\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-67414\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2020\/04\/World-Heavyweight-Champion.jpg\" alt=\"Triple H as World Heavyweight Champion\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2020\/04\/World-Heavyweight-Champion.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2020\/04\/World-Heavyweight-Champion-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-67414\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The 2002 &#8211; 2004 period of Triple H&#8217;s career is often referred to as the &#8220;Reign of Terror&#8221;.\u00a0 The reason for this is simple: Triple H beat <em>everybody<\/em>.\u00a0 At <em><strong>WrestleMania XIX<\/strong><\/em>, for example, Triple H defeated <strong>Booker T<\/strong> after a racially charged feud which insinuated African Americans can&#8217;t win the championship.\u00a0 He defeated <strong>Scott Steiner<\/strong>.\u00a0 He defeated <strong>Goldberg<\/strong>, though this victory came after two defeats to Goldberg &#8211; with Triple H losing and regaining his championship in the feud.\u00a0 It was during this time Triple H began relying on the help of <strong>Evolution<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_67416\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-67416\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-67416\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2020\/04\/Evolution.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2020\/04\/Evolution.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2020\/04\/Evolution-300x200.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-67416\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Evolution was a group consisting of Triple H, <strong>Ric Flair<\/strong>, <strong>Randy Orton<\/strong> and <strong>Batista<\/strong>.\u00a0 Ric Flair was the past; Triple H was the present and the talented duo of Randy Orton and Batista were to be the future.\u00a0 That is what the Triple H character wanted us to believe, of course.\u00a0 In truth, Triple H was using them to hold back Orton and Batista; using them in his repeated quests for the World Heavyweight Championship (which he lost at<em><strong> WrestleMania XX<\/strong> <\/em>to <strong>Chris Benoit<\/strong>).\u00a0 He would recapture the title in an Elimination Chamber match at <em><strong>New Year&#8217;s Revolution 2004<\/strong><\/em>, after having turned on Randy Orton (who he faced with Team Triple H vs Team Randy Orton at <em><strong>Survivor Series 2004<\/strong><\/em>) months earlier over jealousy caused by Orton&#8217;s WWE title victory.\u00a0 He would successfully defend against Randy Orton at <em><strong>Royal Rumble 2005<\/strong><\/em> &#8211; the same night Evolution stablemate, Batista, won the Rumble match.\u00a0 Sensing Triple H was about to turn on him, Batista acted first; turning face and defeated Tripled H at <em><strong>WrestleMania XXI<\/strong><\/em>.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Seeing Out the 2000s<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Mr. McMahon forces Triple H to run the Gauntlet against The Spirit Squad\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Dvcaa6YxmxU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Following his final defeat to Batista and <em><strong>Vengeance 2005<\/strong><\/em>, Triple H took a four-month hiatus from the ring.\u00a0 Much of the rest of the 2000s were spent feuding for the WWE Championship against the likes of <strong>Umaga<\/strong>, <strong>Jeff Hardy<\/strong> and <strong>King Booker<\/strong>.\u00a0 Despite winning the WWE Championship numerous times during this period, he spent more time putting opponents over as he began the early phase of transitioning to the executive, behind the scenes stage of his career.\u00a0 A D-X reunion in 2006 would mark the end of the Shawn Michaels feud; with the duo being on-screen friends ever-since.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL-LENGTH MATCH - Raw - Triple H vs. Cody Rhodes &amp; Ted DiBiase - Handicap Match\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/d5cdx4b88j8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Triple H had taken on the role previously occupied by Ric Flair in Evolution: Triple H was now the veteran.\u00a0 The older ring general on the roster, still hungry for glory against the young guns.\u00a0 More and more, the commentary team would refer to Triple H&#8217;s real life role as an executive within the company.\u00a0 When the 2000s finally came to a close, they went all in with Triple H&#8217;s transition to corporate executive.\u00a0 By 2011, The Game was now officially WWE&#8217;s Chief Operation Officer on-screen.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Raw - WWE COO Triple H confronts David Otunga and his gang of disgruntled Superstars\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gDGvcNnY1Hk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3><strong>The 2010s and Winding Down<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Many seem to hold the notion that Triple H truly finished his wrestling career in the 2000s.\u00a0 This is true to an extent, as he did transition to a behind-the-scenes role towards the end.\u00a0 However, he still had a number of memorable feuds during the 2010s.\u00a0 Of course, there was the <strong>CM Punk<\/strong> rivalry &#8211; featuring the questionable victory over the &#8220;Voice of the Voiceless&#8221; at the peak of the &#8220;Summer of Punk&#8221;.\u00a0 There was the duo of <em>WrestleMania<\/em> matches (<em><strong>XXVII<\/strong> <\/em>and <em><strong>XVIII<\/strong><\/em> respectably) against The Undertaker: featuring two losses for The Game.\u00a0 Then there was the<em><strong> WrestleMania XXIX<\/strong><\/em> victory over <strong>Brock Lesnar<\/strong>.\u00a0 There was the monumental feud with <strong>Daniel Bryan<\/strong> where Triple H &#8211; as the head of <strong>The Authority<\/strong> stable &#8211; terrorized Bryan for almost a year.\u00a0 Of course, this culminated in Bryan&#8217;s now legendary victory in the main event at<em><strong> WrestleMania XXX<\/strong><\/em>.\u00a0 He even won the WWE Championship in the <em><strong>Royal Rumble 2016<\/strong><\/em> match &#8211; his first (and last) world title in seven years.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Triple H: Trust in The Authority - SmackDown, June 27, 2014\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2_5PhNX3Llo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Though not limited to <em>WrestleMania<\/em> appearances only, it is these matches and feuds which define Triple H&#8217;s in-ring career throughout the 2010s.\u00a0 At <em><strong>WrestleMania XXXIII<\/strong><\/em>, Triple H put over former Authority protegee, <strong>Seth Rollins<\/strong>.\u00a0<em><strong> WrestleMania XXXIV<\/strong><\/em> saw Triple H team with wife, Stephanie McMahon, and put over Kurt Angle and the debuting<strong> Ronda Rousey<\/strong>.\u00a0 Finally, at <strong><em>WrestleMania XXXV<\/em><\/strong>, it would be Batista repaying his old friend by putting him over &#8211; fourteen years after Triple H did the same.\u00a0 Since this final victory over Batista, Triple H has wrestled just three times: once at <em><strong>WWE Super Showdown 2019<\/strong><\/em>, where he lost to Randy Orton.\u00a0 The other two matches came during house shows in Japan &#8211; where he teamed with <strong>Shinsuke Nakamura<\/strong> and The Club (<strong>AJ Styles<\/strong>, <strong>Gallows<\/strong> &amp; <strong>Anderson<\/strong>) respectively.\u00a0 Whether or not The Game has one more big match in him remains to be seen.\u00a0 If not, what a career he has had.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Triple H: NXT Kingpin<\/strong><\/h3>\n<figure id=\"attachment_67432\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-67432\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-67432\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonprowrestling.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2020\/04\/Triple-H-Adam-Cole.jpg\" alt=\"Triple H with Adam Cole\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2020\/04\/Triple-H-Adam-Cole.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2020\/04\/Triple-H-Adam-Cole-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2020\/04\/Triple-H-Adam-Cole-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2020\/04\/Triple-H-Adam-Cole-265x198.jpg 265w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2020\/04\/Triple-H-Adam-Cole-560x420.jpg 560w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-67432\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Lastly, it is vital that this aspect of Triple H&#8217;s career is mentioned.\u00a0 Since 2012, Triple H has been the kingpin behind <strong>WWE NXT<\/strong>.\u00a0 Prior to Triple H&#8217;s <em>TakeOver<\/em> of NXT in 2012, the black and yellow brand was a sort of WWE themed reality TV show.\u00a0 With Triple H assuming the role of creator and senior producer of NXT, the show would go on to become one of the absolute highlights of pro-wrestling&#8217;s weekly output.\u00a0 For eight years now, NXT has been an absolute pleasure to watch; giving us a number of top quality, five star matches.\u00a0 The likes of <strong>Adam Cole<\/strong>, <strong>Johnny Gargano<\/strong>, <strong>Tommaso Ciampa<\/strong>, <strong>Finn Balor<\/strong>, <strong>Aleister Black<\/strong>, <strong>Kevin Owens<\/strong>, <strong>Sami Zayn<\/strong> and more have honed their craft in NXT and have become future <strong>WWE Hall of Famers<\/strong> as a result.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Triple H rejoices with NXT crowd following live premiere: NXT Exclusive, Sept. 18, 2019\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/BftCs0bs5Ic?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>So there we have it.\u00a0 A twenty-five year, certified Hall of Fame worthy career.\u00a0 The Game has done everything there is to do &#8211; and more &#8211; in pro-wrestling.\u00a0 A fourteen-time World Champion; a five-time Intercontinental Champion; a corporate executive; founder of NXT as we know it and the potential heir to the entire World Wrestling Entertainment machine.\u00a0 What a career.\u00a0 A polarizing figure hated for much of the reign of terror, but adored for his role in NXT.\u00a0 Legendary for his wrestling career and equally so for his behind-the-scenes role.\u00a0 Whatever you think about Triple H, there is no denying his place in wrestling history.\u00a0 Happy twenty-fifth anniversary, Triple H!<\/p>\n<p>Stay tuned to the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/lwosonprowrestling.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/a>\u00a0for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.\u00a0 WWE fan? You can check out an almost unlimited array of WWE and NXT content on the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/watch.wwe.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">WWE Network<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This week&#8217;s episode of SmackDown will be a little bit different to what we are used to.\u00a0 The Friday night broadcast will be a celebration of Triple H&#8216;s pro-wrestling career.\u00a0 Specifically, it will be a celebration of Triple H&#8217;s WWE career &#8211; though you can find the pre-WWE portion of his career here.\u00a0 On April [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2482,"featured_media":67395,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2,4,3],"tags":[605,1613,140,587,298,116,395,326,3349,1506,550,297,75,241,47],"class_list":["post-67394","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","tag-big-show","tag-booker-t","tag-cm-punk","tag-hulk-hogan","tag-kane","tag-nxt","tag-shawn-michaels","tag-stephanie-mcmahon","tag-steve-austin","tag-the-kliq","tag-the-rock","tag-the-undertaker","tag-triple-h","tag-vince-mcmahon","tag-wwe"],"modified_by":"Niklas George","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67394","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2482"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67394"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67394\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67395"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67394"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67394"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67394"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}